Shoe last



Jun 8 1926;

1,587,496 E. ALTIERI SHOE LAST Filed Dec. 16, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet' 1 Patented June 8, 1926.

IT E D "STAT ES EMILIO .ALTIERI, OF NEW YORK, 'N. Y.

\ SHOE LAST.

Application filed December 16, 1922. Serial No. 607,280.

This invention relates to shoe lasts and has for one of its objects to provide a last upon which a shoe may be built which will correctly conform to the shape of a normal hu man foot, not only the upper part of the foot but the lower portion as well.

Other objects are to provide a correctly designed last which may be employed in making comfortable, correctly constructed shoes of the materials hertofore commonly employed or,preferably, to obtain the maximum beneficial results, having insoles such as that disclosed and claimed in my Patent No. 1,484,471. Other objects and advantages will appear as the invention is hereinafter disclosed.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate what I now consider a preferred form of the last embodying my invention Fig. l is an elevation of a. last adapted to be employed in constructing shoes adapted to be worn by females, a heel (forming no part of the last) being shown in dotted lines to facilitate explanation of the invention.

F 2 is a'top plan view of the last shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the last shown in Fig. 1, the dotted lines indicating the outline of a reinforcing member that may be employed in the shoe under construction.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the plane of the line 4 4 of Fig.- 3.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sections taken on the planesof the lines 55, 66 and 77, respectively, of Fig. 3, Figs. 5, 6 and 7 being upright and not inverted views.

The last illustrated is one adapted to be employed in the construction of a shoe adapted to be worn on the left foot of a woman. It will be obvious that a generally similar last may be employed for constructing shoes for the right foot and that other sizes of suitably shaped lasts may be employed for constructing shoes intended for human beings of various ages and sexes, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The last illustrated is constructed of wood or other suitable material and, in order to facilitate its removal from a built up shoe, is preferably constructed of two members 10, 11, detachably connected by means of a screw 12. A dowel pin 14 may be provided on the member 1.0 and adapted to enter a socket 13 in the member 11, these elements together with the screw 12 serving to hold the parts 10, 11, in correct assembled position. The last illustrated in the drawings differs from the lasts heretofore employed, particularly in the following :respects.

The sole is so shaped as to rest substantially .flat, from tip to arch, when the heel 16 (a part of the shoe and not of the last) is in position under the heel of the last. It will furtherlbe noted that the instep portion 17 of the last is full-or rounded out (see :Fig. 1 instead of'being in the form .of a more or less sharp angle. The heel ,portion of the last is formed with a projecting or raised portion 18 which may either be an integral part of the member 10 or may be constructed of leather or other suitable material and glued, cemented or. otherwisesecured to the last. The raised portion .18 is designed .to be of substantially the same configuration as the :lower ,partof theheel bone, or oscalcis, of a hu nan foot. The under-arched portion of the last is shapedsubstantially as indicated in Figs. 4 to 7, .i. e., it is longitudinally :archedror convexed upwardly between the heelan d .the section 5--.5 (corresponding to junctions of the metatarsal bones with the toes .ofithe .human foot) and transversely arched upwardly atand between the sections 55 .and 66, this transversezarchdiminishing toward, :and substantially disappearing at, the section 7-'.7.. 'lnshort the under surface of the heel and instep or arched portion of the lastis of such configuration as to form a snug lit with a reinforcing plate shown in dotted linesatlG .in Fig. 3 of the drawings of the present application, .and shown inFig. 50f my Patent No. 1,434,471. That portion of the lower surface of the last which-extends between the section 5.5 and the tip is substantially a planesurface except for theraised portions 19, 20, 21, 22 which I shall ,now describe.

The portion 19 is a .raisedportion, either integral with the ,member 10, or separately formed of :leather or other suitable zmaterial and glued or cemented orotherwise secured to the member .10, and .so shaped as :to simulate the lower part of the outer phalange of the great toe of a human foot. The raised portions 20, 21, 22 are similarly formed but are of such configuration as to simulate the lower portions of the ball, the joint between the fifth metatarsal and the smallest toe, and the joint between the first metatarsal and the great toe, respectively, of the human foot.

It will now be appreciated that I have provided a last which simulates the shape of a human foot, and particularly the lower portion or foundation thereof. When a shoe is built up on this last it is caused to assume a shape complementary to that of the last so that the foot of a wearer of such a shoe will be properly and comfortably supported. The insole of such a shoe will have depressions, corresponding to the projections 18 to 21 of the last, these depressions being adapted to receive and conform to the heel bone or os calcis, the outer phalange of the great toe, the ball, the joint between the fifth metatarsal and the smallest toe, and the joint between the first metatarsal and the great toe, respectively, of the normal human foot. If desirable these depressions in the insole of the shoe may be provided with pads or cushions of any suitable soft material. Thelast disclosed may also be, and preferably is, employed in the construction of insoles such as those disclosed in my above mentioned patent.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now con sider to represent the best embodiments thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus disclosed is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combinations and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted and some of the features of each modification may be embodied in the others without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

IVhat I claim is 1. A shoe last comprising a body member having a projection on the sole portion of substantially the same shape as the lower portion of the ball of a human foot.

'2. A shoe last comprising a body member having a projection at the heel portion of substantially the same shape as the lower portion of the os calcis of a human foot, and a projection on the sole portion of substantially the same shape as the lower portion of the ball of a human foot.

3. A shoe last comprising a body member having a projection at the heel portion of substantially the same shape as the lower portion of the os calcis of a human foot, a projection on the sole portion of substan-- tially the same shape as the lower portion of the ball of a human foot, a projection on the sole portion of substantially the same shape as the lower portion of the joint between the first metatarsal bone and great toe of a human foot, and a projection on the sole portion of substantially the same shape as the lower portion of the joint between the fifth metatarsal and the smallest toe of a human foot.

4. A shoe last comprising a body member having a projection at the heel portion of substantially the same shape as the lower portion of the os calcis of a human foot, a projection on the sole portion of substantially the same shape as the lower portion of the ball of a human foot, a projection on the sole portion of substantially the same shape as the lower portion of the joint between the first metatarsal bone and great toe of a human foot, a projection on the sole portion of substam'ially the same shape as the lower portion of the joint between the fifth metatarsal and the smallest toe of a human foot, and a projection on the sole portion of sub stantially the sameshape as the lower portion of the outer phalange of the great toe of a human foot.

5. A shoe last as set forth in claim 1 and whose body member is provided with a longitudinally upwardly curved and transversely upwardly curved arch extending from ad jacent the heel substantially to the sole portion proper.

6. A shoe last as set forth in claim 2 and whose body member is provided with a longitudinally upwardly curved and transverse-- ly upwardly curved arch extending from adjacent the heel substantially to the sole portion proper.

7. A shoe last as set forth in claim 3 and whose body member is provided with a 1011- gitudinally upwardly curved and transversely upwardly curved arch extending from adjacent the heel substantially to the sole portion proper.

8. A shoe last as set forth in claim 4 and whose body member is provided with a longitudinally upwardly curved and transversely upwardly curved arch extending from adjacent the heel substantially to the sole portion proper.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

EMILIO ALTIERI. 

